Signal device for fire-extinguishers



J. C. MONAHAN.

lSIGNAL DEVICE FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. APPLICATloN FILED Nov. s, 1919.

1,356,303. Patented oct. 19,1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN C. MONA'HAN, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL DEvIcE ron EIRE-EXTINGUISHERS.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 6, 1919. Serial No. 336,068.

To all whom t may concerns Be it lrnown that I, Jol-1N C. MONAHAN, a citizen of the vUnited States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Devices for Fire-Extinguishers, of which the'following is a specification.

rIhere are many types of portable fire extinguishers which only require that they be inverted in order to place them in operation. After they have once been inverted,

either for use or by accident, they cannot be used again until they have been recharged or the parts reset. In numerous instances when fire has broken out, fire extinguishers of the above type have been found to be useless for the reasonthat'someone'had previously inverted or used the extinguisher and had placed the same back in apparently proper position, but the same having been inverted as above described was useless for a second use and this previously could not be determined and the result of non-replenishment after use has often been disastrous.

One object of my invention is to provide a signal or tell-tale device which will clearly indicate by a glance whether or not the fire extinguisher is in good condltion ready for use.

Another obj ect is to make my invention of a simple and durable construction and so that it can be applied to various types of fire extinguishers.

These objects, and @other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference bein@ had to the accompanying drawings in whic Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my invention applied to a portable fire extinguisher,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly in vertical section, of my invention, and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, my invention consists of a casing 4 which may be made of metal and which includes a number of openings or apertures 5 extending in the direction of its height. Extensions or ears 6 are preferably provided whereby the same can be soldered or otherwise secured to a tire extinguisher, such as shown at 7 The casing 4 preferably has a closed top 8 and an open bottom 9. The opening in the bottom is preferably screw threaded to receive a gland nut 10. A transparentglass vial or container 11 is adapted to be slipped upwardly through the open bottoni 9, after which the gland nut can be screwed Linto Patented Oct. 19, 1920- position to hold kthe container 11 within the casing 4. The container 11 is open at its top and a spider 12 has arms 13 which are designed to be positioned between the upper edge of the container and the top 8 of the casing 4. These arms 13 extend downwardly into the container and are connected attheir lower ends to a ring 14. The container 11 is adapted to be partly filled with a clear liquid, such as water, and a small vessel 15 is adapted to be suspended from the ring 14; said vessel having its top above the level 16 of the liquid within the container 11 when the device is in its normal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The vessel 15, as illustrated, has a ange 17 at its top for engaging the upper surface of the ring 14 and in this vessel I pref.- erably place coloring material 15a, such `for example as red ink either in solid or liquid state.

When the device is in its normal position as above described, the water or lsolution in the container will be clear and can be readily seen through the apertures 5. If the fire extinguisher 7 is tilted or inverted the water or liquid within the container will iow toward the end portion 8 and the coloring material within the vessel 15 will also flow or drop toward the end portion 8. This will cause the coloring material from the vessel to mix with the water and when the fire extinguisher is again turned into its normal position the water within the container 11, being mixed and thereby colored by the material which was previously in the vessel 15, can be readily seen through the apertures 5 and when the colored water or liquid is thus seen through the apertures 5 a person will know that the fire extinguisher has been previously used and cannot be used again until it has been replenished. Thus anyone can determine whether the fire extinguisher has been used and the same can be replenished so that in case of fire the extinguisher will be in condition to be of service.

After the fire extinguisher has been replenished the container 11 and vessel 15 can be readily removed from the casing 4 by removing the gland nut 10 and the container 11 can be replenished with clear liquid and spirit thereof, and hence Ido not limit my-v self to the precise construction set forth, but consider that l am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come Witl1- in the scope of the appended claims.

Hay/ing thus described my invention, What l claim as nevv and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A device of the character described including a container having a liquid therein; and coloring material normally out of contact with said liquid, said liquid, When the container is moved from its normal position, beino` adapted to engage said coloring material whereby the liquid is colored by said coloring material; substantially as described.

2. fi device of the character described including a casing having apertures therein; a transparent container Within said casing and visible through said apertures; liquid Within said container; a vessel having an opening above the normal level of said liquid in the container; and coloring material Within said vessel adapted, when the container is tilted from its norma-l position, to mix with and color said liquid; substantially as described.

3, A device of the character described including a casing having apertures therein; a transparent container within said casing and visible through said apertures; liqui Within said container; a spider Within said container and including a ring; a vessel susaended 'from saidring and having an opening above the normal level of liquid; and coloring material Within said vessel and adapted to mix with and color said liquid when the casing is tilt-ed from its normal p0- si'tion; substantially as described.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN C. MONAHAN.

'Vitnesses: i f

AUGUSTUS B. Corrns, CEAS. E. Por'rs. 

